Autoimmune disease (AID) occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in certain organs and tissues, leading to inflammation and damage. AID can be managed by identifying and addressing the underlying triggers that cause immune system dysfunction and inflammation.
There are over 80 different types of autoimmune conditions, with some being more common than others, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease to name a few. The prevalence of autoimmune conditions continues to rise, likely due to factors such as; changes in our environment, dietary shifts, exposure to xenobiotics (such as fragrances, cosmetics, pesticides, and food additives), pollution, chronic stress, infections, and our modern stressful lifestyles.
Risk Factors for Developing Autoimmune Diseases
Genetics: It’s common to find patterns of AID conditions within families. While having a genetic predisposition may increase your risk, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop an autoimmune condition. Remember, genes are neither inherently good nor bad; their environment determines how they are expressed.
Environmental Factors: Our environment plays a significant role in how our immune system responds and functions. Modern life exposes us to a range of toxins and chemicals, such as pesticides, heavy metals (e.g., mercury), industrial pollutants, and household chemicals. These substances can accumulate in the body, driving inflammation and, over time, potentially triggering an autoimmune response.
Diet: Typically, the Western diet consists of highly processed foods that contribute to inflammation and disrupt gut health. Evidence shows that certain food additives, such as emulsifiers, artificial flavours and sweeteners, alcohol, and certain medications, disrupt the gut microbiome, allowing harmful substances to enter the bloodstream, trigger immune activation, and potentially lead to autoimmunity.
Infections: Many viral and bacterial infections can trigger an autoimmune response. For example, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus. Infections can mimic normal body tissues, causing the immune system to mistakenly attack itself—a process called molecular mimicry.
Stress and Modern Lifestyles: Chronic, unmanaged stress has a direct impact on immunity. When the stress hormone cortisol is elevated for extended periods, it can drive inflammation and alter immune responses. Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle, combined with inadequate sleep, can further exacerbate inflammation and increase the risk of autoimmunity.
How to Help Manage Symptoms of Autoimmunity and Reduce Your Risk
Start with Your Diet: Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that focuses on whole foods, lean proteins, fresh leafy greens, herbs, spices, and antioxidant-rich berries is foundational for managing autoimmunity. It’s also important to avoid highly processed foods and known triggers like gluten and dairy. Exploring your own food sensitivities through functional testing can be a great tool for getting a more targeted approach.
Focus on Gut Health: Gut health improves as you incorporate an anti-inflammatory diet, but it's also important to understand your gut’s function and identify your own food triggers. Furthermore, comprehensive gut testing can be explored with a Naturopath to gain a deeper understanding of your balance of good and bad bacteria, inflammatory markers, digestive capacity, gut integrity and nutrient absorption. Our gut and immune system are intimately connected and supporting gut health is integral to managing autoimmune conditions.
Minimise Exposure to Toxins: In your home, choose natural and organic products where possible. Reduce plastic use, eliminate synthetic room fragrances and perfumes, opt for soy-based, fragrance-free candles, invest in a water filter, and avoid harsh cleaning chemicals and cosmetics that contain parabens, phthalates, PEGs and other harmful chemicals. The more toxins in your day to day life, the harder your body’s detoxification pathways have to work to safely eliminate them from the body. Compromised detoxification pathways can wreak havoc on our hormones and gut which can drive inflammation and contribute to autoimmune presentations.
Counteract Mental Stress: Since stress is often unavoidable, try to balance it with activities that relax you. This could be taking a walk, reading, breathwork, meditation, listening to music, dancing, drawing, doing a puzzle - anything that helps you unwind and shift your focus. Chronic high cortisol (our stress hormone) further exacerbates poor gut health and raises our blood sugar unnecessarily which can drive inflammation and exacerbate symptoms.
Concentrate on Restorative Sleep: Establishing a consistent sleep schedule with good sleep hygiene is crucial for supporting a healthy immune system, reducing inflammation, and encouraging healing. Consider limiting screen time and opting for a book, keep the lights dimmed and focus on creating a calming space. Prolonged, poor sleep hygiene can contribute to poor hormonal health, weight gain and mood disorders leading to poorer health outcomes.
Stay Active, Listen to Your Body & Be Social: Regular movement that suits your needs supports overall immune regulation. However, knowing when to rest and listening to your body is just as important. Being kind to yourself through a diagnosis helps facilitate healing, as symptoms can fluctuate for various reasons. Additionally, staying connected with loved ones and engaging in activities that bring joy and a sense of purpose can positively impact your immune system. Happiness, social connections, and a sense of community are integral to overall health, helping to reduce stress and promote a balanced, resilient immune response.
When it comes to autoimmunity, it's important to adopt a long-term, sustainable approach. The goal is to make lasting changes that support your overall health and improve your quality of life. While symptoms may fluctuate, consistency in your efforts is key.
Working with a Naturopath allows you to explore and address each potential contributing factor to your condition. Naturopaths can offer nutritional supplementation and herbal medicines that are shown to positively affect the immune system and alleviate autoimmune symptoms. Through functional testing and personalised plans, Naturopaths can help you gain a deeper understanding of your health and set achievable goals as you make meaningful changes. Ultimately, knowledge is power – understanding what your body is communicating is essential to finding balance and regaining well-being.
If you’re dealing with an autoimmune condition, have a family predisposition to autoimmunity or want to improve your health overall, book in with our team today!
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